Lexar ExpressCard SSD 4GB review

Need extra storage, maybe this will help?

10 December 2007 11:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

It’s not everyday a new way of storing files on your notebook comes along but if you have an ExpressCard slot and have been wondering what to use with it, this great little storage card from Lexar is just the thing.

It’s a standard 34mm ExpressCard slot that fits neatly into the slot. With nothing protruding it won’t get caught, so can effectively be slotted in and left. There are a variety of sizes available but pricing on high-capacity drives is a little expensive at the moment, so this 4GB version is the most cost-effective to date.

You can use it as a simple storage vault to add extra storage to your laptop, as with any memory key it installs itself and acts simply as another drive. It draws its power from your notebook but we didn’t see any real detrimental effect on battery life when using it.

However, Lexar supplies it with a neat little utility that allows you to backup your files to it. So, if you use your notebook when out and about you can choose to back up your work files on the fly. This won’t help you if you leave the machine in the back of a cab but should the hard drive fail at least you have a copy of your files.

For sharing files between your notebook and desktop machine it’s not as effective as a USB memory key but as a backup device it’s a great solution.

Verdict

The mobile traveller can never have enough storage space and this card may not be the cheapest solution but it’s certainly the most space saving solution we’ve used in a long while.

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Review Recap

Made by: Lexar
Price as reviewed: £45
The good: Small, compact, good software
The bad: Gets hot, needs more capacity
Quick verdict: This is a reasonable first stab at providing extra notebook storage but it needs more space and to control the heat generated
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